Tourism Picks Up

Data from Smith Travel Research show that San Diego's hotel business continues to do better. The occupancy rate for June of this year was 70.3%, up from 67.3% in June of 2011. The average daily room rate was $128 this June, up from $122.56 in June of last year. However, Jerry Morrison, La Jolla-based hotel consultant, compared June 2012 numbers with the month just before the Great Recession set in, June of 2007. The occupancy rate was the same last June and in June of 2007 -- 80.5%. But average daily room rate was $136.51 last month and $143.14 in June of 2007. Revenue per available room also dropped, from $115.22 in 2007 to $109.90 this June.

I assume you are asking whether the visitors come from the drive market -- L.A. and Phoenix in particular. Those data should be available. My guess is that in this economy, the drive market is picking up, as Angelenos and Zonies decide not to go to Paris and come to San Diego. The drive market is a source of strength in San Diego tourism. Best, Don Bauder

With each passing year, I see more and more 'Zonies in the area. You can spot them when they blow past you at 70-75 mph and the rest of the freeway is barely doing 65 (the speed limit.) If I lived in that baking-hot hellhole (AZ in general, more specifically greater Phoenix) I'd be soooo eager to escape during summer that I'd go nuts.

Another phenomenon is the massive amount of traffic on southbound I-5 that starts about noon on Friday, and continues through Saturday evening at least. At one time I blamed it on all the Angelenos who were headed for the border and beyond, and who had ethnic and cultural ties to Mexico. Now that we hear that the cross-border traffic is 'way off, it must mean that the visitors are coming to see the local stuff, not including TJ. That southbound freeway is a real pain when there's no special reason for heading into SD.